Recycle your old mobiles & help the Salvos

Date:10-Dec-15Author: Ryan Collins

If you are dreaming of a new mobile phone this Christmas don’t forget to recycle old mobiles and accessories in a safe, secure and ethical way. To give you a little incentive, MobileMuster will donate $2 for every kilogram of old mobile phones and accessories collected during December and January to The Salvation Army Christmas Appeal.

Now is the time to give hope when it’s needed most by helping the Salvation Army. With an estimated 22.5 million mobile phones lying idle in homes around Australia, Christmas is the perfect time to dispose of them responsibly, reduce the environmental impact of e-waste and help an Aussie family in need.

The target for this year’s partnership between MobileMuster and The Salvation Army, now in its second year, is to collect over 16,000 kilograms of old mobiles and accessories and give $32,000 to The Salvation Army Christmas Appeal, which will provide meals, hampers and beds for families that would otherwise go without.

Since the inception of MobileMuster’s program in late 1998, it has reduced the need to mine 29,000 tonnes of precious metal ore, which has environmental benefits equivalent to planting over 57,000 trees, keeping 2,600 cars permanently off the road, preventing 9,400 tonnes of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions and diverting potentially harmful substances from landfill.

Simply drop off your old mobile at your nearest Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, Virgin Mobile, Officeworks or Salvos Stores or post them to MobileMuster using a free recycling satchel, available at Australia Post. To find your nearest collection point visit the MobileMuster website. MobileMuster provides assurances that all data left on the device will be destroyed through the recycling process and no mobile is sold for reuse.

Workplaces can also get involved by partnering with MobileMuster, Australia’s only government-accredited mobile phone recycling program, and hosting a collection bin. Once registered, workplaces will receive a collection bin, promotional material and free pick-up and recycling service. MobileMuster can also help you launch your involvement, provide communications support and report on the weight of components recycled.

Author: Ryan Collins

Ryan is the Recycling Programs Manager at Planet Ark.
After nearly a decade working in the banking and finance industry Ryan was drawn to a career in environmental conservation that saw him work in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji. With a background in psychology and environmental management, Ryan’s role at Planet Ark since 2012 has been focused on developing engaging and positive environmental behaviour change programs to help everyone recycle and reduce waste.